Chainless bicycle-gearing



No. 609,47l. Patented Aug. 23, |898. B. E. SLUSSER.

CHAINLESS BICYCLE HEARING.

(Application filed Nov. 29, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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llulmnumull THE NORRyS PETERS CD. PNOTOALITHO., WASHINGTON. D: C4

llrvirn ',rATns BURT E. SLUSSER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CHAINLESS BICYCLEGEARING.

SPECIFICATONQformng part of Letters Patent No. 609,471, dated August 23, 1898,. Application filed November 29,189?. `Serial No. 660,133. (No model- T all whom, t may concern: i Be it known that I, BURT E. SLUSSER, a citizen of the' United States of America, re-r siding at Denver,'in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ohainless BicycleGearing; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description Ici of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains-to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the iigures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to chainless bicyclegearing in which the poweris transmitted by a train of gear-wheels and connecting-rods, and has for its object to provide a runninggear for bicycles which will dispense with the ordinary endless chain and sprocket generally employed for the purpose of propelling the machine,will reduce the friction incident to such sprocket chain and wheel, and will prevent the accumulation of dirtgathered by said chain during the running of the bicycle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal side elevation with the fore gearin full ligure, the rear-gear bearing and pitmanehead being in section, respectively, on line a: x of Fig. 2 and line oo of Fig. 2, and the outer boxing being in section, except the covering for the forward gearing, which is a plate and is represented as removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view from above with the forward gearing in full ligure, the rear-gear bearing in section on line y y of Fig. 1, and the pitman-head in section on line y y of Fig. 1, the outer boxing being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail View, in side and edge elevation, of the pinion, pinion-crank, and axle.

The crank-hanger of the bicycle is represented by 4. In place of one of the usual rear forks of the frame there is a large tubular covering 12, which incloses thegreater part of the gear and conforms to its general contour. This covering 12 is brazed at its forward end to the crank-hanger by an outwardly-extending flange around the edge of a circular opening in the inner side of thecov'` ering. Said iiange fits within the barrel crank-hahger and forms a reinforcement.

The covering 12,v at the rear, is brazed to one of therear braces of the frame.

`The outer side of the forward part of the covering 12, in which `the crank-shaft bearings are located, is a detachable plate 12, which extends back'so as to cover the forward gear-wheels within and is attached to the main covering `by screws 12b.'

At the rear end of the covering 12,wl1ich is open,a cap 12 is attached by screws 12d.

Through the crank-han ger passes the crankshaft la'in two parts, coupled by a nut 1". One part of said shaft extends through the opening in the inner side of the covering 12 and also through a corresponding opening inv the plate 12, in which are located the bearings for the shaft. These bearings consist of the annular cup 20, cone 21 on the crankshaft, and balls 22 between said cup and cone.

The cup 2O is screwed into an annular ring 14, which has a flange projecting radially on its outer periphery. This flange acts as a reinforcement, bearing against the inner side of plate 1?a when t-he ring 14, containing the cup 20, is inserted in the opening in the plate made of such size as to fit it.

On the crank-shaft is mounted within the tubular covering, and therefore between the crank-shaft bearings 20 21 22 and the crankhanger, a spider 2,which has arms, to which are attached by screws 3 corresponding inwardly-extending arms of the rim 1, which has cog-teeth onits outer periphery. At the end of the crank-shaft are the crank and pedal 1f", attached as usual.

Within the covering 12 is the pinion gearwheel 5, meshing with and in the rear of the gear-wheel1, and the pinion gear-Wheel 8, meshing with and in front of a gear-wheel 9, mounted on the hub 9at of the rear bicyclewheel and secured thereon by a lock-nut 9b'. Each of these gear-wheels 5 and 8 has on each side, near its rim, a pin 8PL at right angles to its surface. These pins 8 are secured to one end of cranks 8b, at the other end of which and in a line with the center of each gearwheel 5 and 8 are journals 8c at right angles to said cranks and having bearings in either side of the covering 12.l These bearings clonion-journals 8, and balls 18 between. said cups and cones.

sist of cups 15, cones 16, mounted on the pin-Y IOO The cups are threaded at 15a on their outer rim to screw into the annular rings 13, which have langes on their peripheries projecting radially and bearing against the covering 12 [as a reinforcement on the outside when the rings 13, containing the cups, are inserted in openings prepared to receive them in said covering.

On the vpins 8'LL on each side of each gearwheel 5 and 8 are mounted pitman-heads 7, said heads on each side being respectively connected bya pitman-rod 6. These pitmanheads 7 have inserted in them annular cones 17, V-shaped on their inner rims, and on the pins 8' are mounted corresponding cups 17a with V-shaped outer rims. These cups and cones form between them an annular channel, quadrangular in cross-section, in which balls 19 run. The cones v17 are held in the pitman-heads by locking-bars 7a on the ends of the heads, fastened by screws 7b. The pins 8 are so attached to the gear-wheels that the pitman-heads on each side of the wheel 5 or 8 do not come opposite each other, but at an interval along the rim, so that a dead-center will not occur.

The rear hub 9, before mentioned, passes through an opening in the inner side of the covering 12, is tubular, and through it passes the ,rear axle 10, which extends through anv opening in the outer side of the covering 12 and is fastened to it bya nut 10b and washer 10a, serrated on its inner face to meet the face of the covering 12, which is correspondingly serrated at 11. end, within the covering 12, a cup 24. Corresponding to this is a cone 23 on the axle 10,

The rear hub has in its open and between the cup and cone are balls 25, forming bearings for the rear wheel.

The operation of my invention is as 'follows: The application of power to the pedal 1cv causes the forward gear-'wheel to revolve by means of the crank and shaft 1, which gear-wheel in turn engagesV the foreepinion gearwheel 5, which by means of the pitmanrods 6 and connections causes the rear-pinion gear-wheel 8 to revolve. The latter gearwheel engages the rear gear-wheel 9, secured to the hub 9, and causes the rear wheel to revolve, thus propelling the bicycle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a bicycle, a geaiwheel carried by the pedalshaft, in combination with another gear-wheel on the hub of the rear wheel,a pair of intervening gear-wheels, geared respectively to the wheels first above mentioned, and provided on each side with wrist-pins arranged at different points of the periphery, a pair of pitmen provided at each end with heads which it on the said wrist-pins, and a covering or easing which takes the place of a rear fork or bar of the frame and incloses all of the said gears and pitlnen, besides affording bearings for the wheels which carry the said Wristpins substantially as set forth.

In testimony4 whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURT E'. SLUSSER.

Witnesses:

W. M. W. WARD, FRED Ron. 

